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Martha McSally:

Early life and education
McSally was born on born March 22 1966, in Warwick, Rhode Island, the youngest of five children. In 1978, her father, Bernard, a lawyer, died of a heart attack. Her mother, Eleanor, worked as a reading specialist to support the family.

McSally graduated as the valedictorian at St. Mary's Academy, Bayview, Rhode Island in 1984.

She earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1988. She earned a master's degree in Strategic Studies, at the United States Air Force Air War College and a Masters in Public Policy, from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, at Harvard University following graduation from USAFA and then proceeded onto pilot training. McSally also graduated first in her class at the Air War College.

Public Disclosure of Sexual Assault:
During an interview with The Wall Street Journal in April 2018, McSally alleged her track and field coach, Jack Dwyer, pressured her into a sexual relationship during her senior year at the Catholic St. Academy-Bay View girls' school. She told the Journal that the coach used "emotional manipulation" to keep her compliant. "Even though he didn't physically force me, it certainly was an emotional manipulation," McSally was quoted in the story as saying. She did not reveal the incident to friends or family until ten years after her graduation.

Jack Dwyer has continued to deny the allegations even today, stating she appeared numerous times, unannounced, at his home however they never had sex. "I believe she's nuts," he is quoted as saying, as well as, "that girl is the most scheming woman I've ever met." He was fired immediately from the school and McSally chose to never press legal charges.

On March 6, 2019, during a hearing on Sexual Assault and Misconduct in the Military at the United States Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, McSally informed her colleagues that she had been raped by a superior officer while serving in the Air Force: "I also am a military sexual assault survivor, but unlike so many brave survivors, I didn’t report being sexually assaulted. Like so many women and men, I didn’t trust the system at the time. I blamed myself. I was ashamed and confused. I thought I was strong but felt powerless. The perpetrators abused their position of power in profound ways. In one case I was preyed upon and raped by a superior officer." McSally did not name the officer, but said she shares the disgust with the failures of the military system and the need for commanders to address sexual violence. Her revelation came over a month after fellow Senator Joni Ernst revealed that she was raped while in college.

In 2010, once McSally retired from the Air Force, she fought for other survivors and urged the military to reform legislation on how to handle sexual abuse. She stated there were many "weaknesses in the processes involving sexual assault prevention, investigation, and adjudication." The Air Force however has stood by McSally, giving support, but rather slowly enacting the committed changes to their policies as they stated previously would be quickly addressed. Little has been done to address accountability within the system and servicewomen sexual assault report numbers have remained unchanged since 2010.

Legislation

She does not support the Military Justice Improvement Act currently, which would take legal abilities away from Commanders and give the decision-making power to trained military attorneys. “I very strongly believe that the commander must not be removed from the decision-making responsibility of preventing, detecting and prosecuting military sexual assault,” McSally said. She argues that the military should become more educated due to those who are naive on how to handle sexual assault, keeping commanders trained and educated on how to take legal action and handle prosecutions within the ranks.

Personal Life
McSally was married to Air Force officer Donald Frederick Henry from 1997 to 1999; the marriage was annulled and they have no children. She is a triathlete and has set out to become the first member of Congress to hike the 800 mile Arizona trail. McSally's rescue Golden Retriever, Boomer, frequently appears alongside her at events and in videos.